Anyone Have Bursitis in the Shoulder

So I went in for an X Ray, MRI and they drained a bunch of fluid out and a cortisone shot....all for around 450 out of pocket. But...it still hurts like a bugger depending on how I move the shoulder. Anyone go through this...wondering about home treatments vs. another visit and bill...

It takes some joints longer than others for the cortisone to kick in. I had both my thumbs need cortisone and was fine the next day, although the one in the right thumb failed after 6 months so I ended up with surgery. This year I needed a cortisone shot in my right wrist, the doctor told me give it a couple of days...it to a whole week!

When I called to complain about still being in pain the NP told me it actually takes a week for it to work on the wrist because the wrist is a little more complicated than thumbs. I was her 3rd call of the day! LOL.

Hopefully it is just taking the cortisone a bit more time to kick in. Good luck.

Well I just had bicep, rotator cuff and rear shoulder surgery in February. They thought i had a simple tear in my rotator cuff until they got in there and found I had a bad "train wreck". My bicep had all but come loose which caused an impingement which caused my whole shoulder structure to pull away from my right side. So since i no support for the rotator cuff hence i had a rotator cuff problem. Now let me say this the first doctor i seen he had operated on me twice before so i trusted his judgement. After multiple cortisone shots which did absolutely zelch we went to MRI's and other very expressive scans. They kept finding nothing so he too said i had bursitis.
Skip ahead a year later i talked my doctor into sending me to a shoulder specialist. Bingo he had me do like 6 different things where he pushed and pulled on my arm. Finally on the last maneuver he like to sent me through the roof. Then with a very cheap test ( ultrasound ) he found the problem.
So do not give up I had none of the standard symptoms of any of that and when he got inside he found that I was less than a few weeks away from a massive tear which would have done major damage had I not went to him. the easiest way to explain my symptom was like pretend you're reaching behind your seat in your vehicle to pick up a very light object say a pencil and therefore when I grabbed say a pencil and try and lift it like the pencil was 100lbs. it like to sent shockwaves through my nervous system. Yes my doctor told me that was bad body mechanics but unfortunately that was the symptom that caused me to tell that I was having serious problems with my shoulder that never went away until I had the surgery. I was off work for 7 months and had therapy three to four times a week and it was a brutal therapy until the last 2 months.

So there are a few things about this that seem a little off. Was there any traumatic injury to the shoulder? Did you fall on it? Was it visibly swollen? Was there any blood in the fluid they drained or was it clear? Did the mri show any damage to the other structures? Was the mri with or without contrast?

Absent of a traumatic injury, or at least a chronic irritation, there typically wouldn't be much fluid to extract.

Happy to talk off line if you’re interested in 25 years of sports medicine experience......PM me if you’d like

So there are a few things about this that seem a little off. Was there any traumatic injury to the shoulder? Did you fall on it? Was it visibly swollen? Was there any blood in the fluid they drained or was it clear? Did the mri show any damage to the other structures? Was the mri with or without contrast?

Absent of a traumatic injury, or at least a chronic irritation, there typically wouldn't be much fluid to extract.

Happy to talk off line if you’re interested in 25 years of sports medicine experience......PM me if you’d like

Did you read my last few questions? Very important questions that need to be answered before I continue and give my experiences with my 2 shoulder declines into He** and how they ended.

I'm also wondering about "fluid extraction" since I didn't have any buildup for my 2 bouts. That's the need for his history on this shoulder's beginning and how long has the pain been associated with it.

OK. I also forgot to ask how long has your shoulder been hurting.... or how long since that FIRST real shock of pain jolting to your brain?

Another question. Can you reach around your back or reach over your head and touch your other ear with that arm with the hurting shoulder?

Answering those two more questions will give me a better understanding of the stage your at.

Bare with me.

It has been hurting at least 2 months....the first time I think I hurt it was playing catch with my youngest and stretching for his wild throws w my glove hand. To answer your second question....no. Moving in those directions kills. I will say it seems to be getting oh so slowly better but then Ill tweak it again doing something like walking the dog or putting on a shirt.

So there are a few things about this that seem a little off. Was there any traumatic injury to the shoulder? Did you fall on it? Was it visibly swollen? Was there any blood in the fluid they drained or was it clear? Did the mri show any damage to the other structures? Was the mri with or without contrast?

Absent of a traumatic injury, or at least a chronic irritation, there typically wouldn't be much fluid to extract.

Happy to talk off line if you’re interested in 25 years of sports medicine experience......PM me if you’d like

If it's adhesive capsulitis, it's lasts one year. 1 1/2 for a diabetic. I unfortunately am type 2 and each bout lasted 1 1/2 years to the day almost. I had no fluid build up. I have very muscular shoulders and the stiffening and pain that comes slowly like a few times a day to full blown total BS pain like a rusty knife is twisting in or around the outside soft tip many, many times a day and all through the nights.

If your just 2 months in...

I did a lot of reading on it and the medical society says it JUST happens to people sometimes. The first time, I was STRETCHING while painting my foundation when the first jolt of pain happened to my right shoulder. The pain stayed inside the shoulder joint for 1 1/2 years. I did get a "manipulation" about 6 to 9 months into my h**L. I couldn't take anymore! It was SEVERE! My family doctor walked out on me! He didn't want to help me with pain meds! BS. I don't drink so I just suffered severely.

Anyway, rehab was 3 months long I guess after the manipulation. My shoulder was almost solid at the point of the manipulation too.

The second, I don't remember what started it but my left shoulder started to freeze up and the pain was on the outside of the shoulder joint. I went through h**l with the first one, so I had a scale to judge by, plus I had an idea of the time-line I might have endure...if I could. I babied the left shoulder and avoided strenuous work for months this time. I had to wash my hair with one hand again for months, just like the other time years before. But many times we humans do things with our arms ALL the time and when you use that bad shoulder to much in one movement, the pain shock goes straight to the brain instantly and CAN bring you to your knee. It happened to me during my first shoulder's worst period of non-mobility. I reached for a can of something in Walmart and down to my knee I went. I wanted to cry! My wife got mad because I stayed there for 2 minutes probably.

I saw my new family doctor a time or two during my second shoulder bout of pain and it freezing up and he shot me once or twice with that cortisone. I think it worked for a while the first time, not so much the second time.

I had to use a sling with my arm with my first bout but it so darn hard to get in a position for relief BECAUSE the pain WILL COME no matter what position it's in.

I've read people JUST HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH THE PROCESS of our body healing itself.
And it does IF there was NO SERIOUS IMPACT INJURY to the shoulder. I've read a lot of people notice the pain when we stretch the arms to far.

I also read it happens to mostly 70 year old women. Age is (?) but I think it is 70.

I was like 52 and then 56 when I had my hundreds of trips down into h**l. The doctors gave me anti-depressants for my thousands of jolts of pain. Frikn doctors. I'll bet they would've been taking something for their pain if they had this affliction.

My bouts were just like people described online. I didn't even know about this shoulder thing for like 7 months.

What I had twice is a hardening of the capillaries around the shoulder joint. It's like a long tall hill. Equal on both sides. Your pain increases as time goes by. You'll reach the top of the hill either in 6 months or 9 months if you're diabetic. Then you start to come down the hill of pain and the bouts get less and less and your shoulder will regain mobility each and every day.

One day, you'll be in the shower and think...my shoulder is completely free to move anyway it can again.

But that trip down the Bursitis road will always be in your memory.

I hope it's just what I described and not torn ligaments or worse.

Let me know what the Sports Doc. tells you if you please. PM is fine too if you want to go there.

I wish you the best. Maybe with the fluid build up, it has nothing to do with "Adhesive Capsulitis". The Sports Doc might know what's going on in there from hearing more from you privately.

I did learn through therapy session trainers, the shoulder is the most mobile joint in our body. I did love the girls working my shoulder with massages and the heat and ice pack treatments every visit.

Bursitis is at it's core, inflammation. What you have to do to fight inflammation is to distinguish what's causing it to begin with.

Constant over head lifting, poor posture, extending the muscles too far when you have poor muscles in the shoulder to begin with, and of course.....diet. Stop eating foods that cause inflammation in the body. Easier said than done, I know, but you'd be surprised how many foods cause inflammation.

My wife has bursitis in her shoulder and goes in for a shot of cortisone every few years. She goes in pretty much completely unable to life her shoulder at all or terrible pain if she does try. A couple days after the cortisone shot her shoulder is completely back to normal. Hopefully the shot works it's magic on your shoulder to.

I had a couple bouts with it a few years back when I got back into lifting weights. Didn't get to the point of shots/draining fluid, but it was extremely uncomfortable in all but a few positions. I had to have it propped up with a pillow every night to ease the pain (along with consistent doses of Alleve).

I ended up doing PT for weeks/months and as soon as I started lifting weights again, it flared back up. I think I just quit lifting after that and after about 6 months it was back to normal. Although, if I try to throw a ball, or anything like that, it can start to hurt very quickly. I just can't do what I used to...

I spoke to a few women in therapy who said they would rather give birth again than go through these shoulder events. Giving birth is a lot quicker they would say.

I forgot to ad a description about the pain jolts. Imagine someone with a hot fireplace poker just pulled from the fireplace. Someone raises your arm, the poker gets jabbed into your armpit "hard" for a second. Maybe a rusty big knife gets pushed in and it gets twisted too. The severity and quantity gets worse toward the middle of the long process.

My second time, the pain was on the outside of my shoulder joint on the left side. It was h**l but like I said, I babied it BIG TIME.

This bursitis or Adhesive capsulitis or " FROZEN SHOULDER SYNDROME" is said to be one of the most painful thing some humans have to endure.

Google" Frozen shoulder syndrome " and read some of the posts people have to say about it from experiences.
Some get pain meds from their Doctors, some of us don't.

It's a big miracle I didn't get drunk everyday during those years. And I had serious pinched neck nerves and arthritis in my neck along with these events. But I kept praying...

I've had frozen shoulder and it was not fun. The arm wouldn't move unless I made it move, and if I moved the wrong way, I could feel the tendon stretch like a rubber band and then snap back HARD it would double me over in pain. Took a few weeks of physical therapy to get it moving again.

I have had tendonitis in my right elbow, both thumbs and right wrist, the cortisone worked in all cases except my right thumb which needed surgery. Every year for the last 4 years I've been losing the use of a tendon and have needed a shot, it's gotten real old! I have to be very careful how much I lift, how I lift it, and how much weight it is.

Cathy,
Sorry to hear that your bouts with these afflictions have continually made your life a bear and you now have to live very carefully with your movements. Also having to get shots and surgeries now and then to keep the pain controlled has to suck!

I still feel darn lucky my bouts came and went. They're over. I feel for anybody that has these issues with shoulder structures that don't heal on their own.

I would think a wrist is just as serious of an area to have something going wrong in.
The elbow also. All the movements we take for granted can be compromised and THEN we realize just how lucky we were when our bodies were working normally.

Dont make fun of my unfinshed, never ending bathroom project, but my wife the RN bought me this gizmo and it really seems to help, from Amazon of course. You strap it on either shoulder and pump it up w air. The pressure seems to help with the pain and you dont need to wear it all day....just when you are laying around being unproductive:

I also found this video with some exercises which seem to help and explain how slouching and bad posture contributes to the problem:

Cortisone is a great solution when used properly.....it should never be prescribed without therapy to follow. Sometimes it is necessary to get to the point where people can actually perform therapy. As I said, I am happy to help and give whatever advice I can (may even know some really good orthopedic practices in your area to refer you to). But, one thing - each case is different. It is very unlikely to be adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”) at this point, but could progress to that very quickly if you don’t get the proper treatment. Typically frozen shoulder occurs after an acute injury where the patient ceases use of their shoulder due to pain. The structures scar down and freeze the shoulder in place causing extreme dysfunction and pain.

While everyone has the best of intentions and is giving good input and advice, being seen by a competent professional and establishing a good long term plan is key to recovery. Otherwise it’s just temporary.

While everyone has the best of intentions and is giving good input and advice, being seen by a competent professional and establishing a good long term plan is key to recovery. Otherwise it’s just temporary.

Cortisone is a great solution when used properly.....it should never be prescribed without therapy to follow. Sometimes it is necessary to get to the point where people can actually perform therapy. As I said, I am happy to help and give whatever advice I can (may even know some really good orthopedic practices in your area to refer you to). But, one thing - each case is different. It is very unlikely to be adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”) at this point, but could progress to that very quickly if you don’t get the proper treatment. Typically frozen shoulder occurs after an acute injury where the patient ceases use of their shoulder due to pain. The structures scar down and freeze the shoulder in place causing extreme dysfunction and pain.

While everyone has the best of intentions and is giving good input and advice, being seen by a competent professional and establishing a good long term plan is key to recovery. Otherwise it’s just temporary.

I had no acute injuries before either of my 1 1/2 year long events. And I'm not an elderly lady either. I didn't fit the common reasons for this BS. I sought help from my family Doctor of 7 years on my first event, and he walked out of the exam room without saying goodbye or THAT HE WAS LEAVING THE BUILDING to go home for the day. He just left me in there! AH!

I found another Doc. that turned out to be an AH also after 7 years of seeing him.

I now have NO Doctor. Only a PA. And I feel that's against the law for a facility to just have a PA exam me for years. Oh well.

Cortisone is a great solution when used properly.....it should never be prescribed without therapy to follow. Sometimes it is necessary to get to the point where people can actually perform therapy. As I said, I am happy to help and give whatever advice I can (may even know some really good orthopedic practices in your area to refer you to). But, one thing - each case is different. It is very unlikely to be adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”) at this point, but could progress to that very quickly if you don’t get the proper treatment. Typically frozen shoulder occurs after an acute injury where the patient ceases use of their shoulder due to pain. The structures scar down and freeze the shoulder in place causing extreme dysfunction and pain.

While everyone has the best of intentions and is giving good input and advice, being seen by a competent professional and establishing a good long term plan is key to recovery. Otherwise it’s just temporary.

I had no acute injuries before either of my 1 1/2 year long events. And I'm not an elderly lady either. I didn't fit the common reasons for this BS. I sought help from my family Doctor of 7 years on my first event, and he walked out of the exam room without saying goodbye or THAT HE WAS LEAVING THE BUILDING to go home for the day. He just left me in there! AH!

I found another Doc. that turned out to be an AH also after 7 years of seeing him.

I now have NO Doctor. Only a PA. And I feel that's against the law for a facility to just have a PA exam me for years. Oh well.

Not sure what you’re referring to as BS but exactly the reason why i said “typically” and stated that each case is different. Not trying to discount your injuries or advice you’re giving at all - just offering my insight as a professional in sports medicine for 25 years. Doesn’t mean I am any smarter than anyone else if that’s how you felt.....

Late to the pain party, but I've been through a rotator cuff repair - medium, two screws, and a torn bicep (plus a knee injection for a partially crushed meniscus - no surgery required eventually).

All required extensive PT and at my age, that takes a while (the cuff, a year), all are basically now as good as new, but TBH, during them I said I would never go through it again. The shoulder is one of those joints, you just use it even when you don't use it. Breathing hurts, everything hurts. I feel for you.

100% agree, opinions are like... well, you know. Get a good professional opinion, and then, as my sister the RN said, get a second. It takes a while, but you can get through it if you follow the plan. Sorry for your pain though. I DO get it!

Not sure what you’re referring to as BS but exactly the reason why i said “typically” and stated that each case is different. Not trying to discount your injuries or advice you’re giving at all - just offering my insight as a professional in sports medicine for 25 years. Doesn’t mean I am any smarter than anyone else if that’s how you felt.

Hey Shawn.
The BS (b**l s**t) was the pain I endured during those 2 very long events.

I agree with you and others that EVERY person has their unique circumstance surrounding their own issues.

I'm sure you have a thousand different experiences to rely on as to make an educated guess as to what the symptoms suggest in each case. You're certainly a thousand times smarter than me concerning sports medicine.